How Smart Am I?

Took one of those online IQ tests to see how far my brain had deteriorated since the last one I took, which was back in high school; at that time, I scored 153. This test says that I'm 148, so I guess I have lost a few brain cells over the years!

Happy Halloween!

Hello, fellow travellers of the web, and welcome to Blue Nile Graphic Designs! I haven't posted in a bit, due to a number of other commitments, such as doctors appointments, working on new alphas, and getting involved in a  new business, LegalShield, prepaid legal and identity theft services that I am convinced that no one should be without! However, I am not going to try to sell you on the services today. What I want to do is offer a little holiday signature tag that I am selling on behalf of a couple of charities I have gotten interested in due to some of the activities I have participated in as a part of Team Parent, the group established by my LegalShield sponsors, Michelle and Robin, plus one I have been interested in for a while.

The first charity is the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation. This is one of the causes I have espoused for some time now, along with other projects whose goals are to help cure cancer of all kinds. Having lost my 33 year old niece, Laura Beth, to colon cancer back in 2011, I have become extremely interested in see a cure for every kind of cancer. NO ONE should have to suffer through the kind of pain cancer causes, not only to the person with it, but to everyone around them.

The other charities I am interested in supporting are the Special Needs Network, which offers resources, programs and advocacy to families of individuals with autism, and their families; and the National Alliance for Mental Illness - NAMI, which offers support , advocacy and education about mental Illness.

If you would like to lend your support to any of these organizations, you can do so by purchasing one of my Halloween signature tags... they will be personalized with any name you wish, at a cost of $1.00 for each tag. To order, please send an email to penneyn@gmail.com with the subject line 'Halloween Tags with the name or names you wish to have on the tags. When they are complete, I will contact you to arrange payment. Tags will be sent out via email when payment for them has cleared. A sample of the tag is below. Thanks for helping those who need it!

New Alpha, 'Independent'

Greetings, travelers, and welcome to the blog! Today, I am sharing an alpha that I had intended to go with a Independence Day scrap, but other obligations came between me and that plan, and all I was able to complete was the alpha I had envisioned for the scrap. And, as is usual for me, I am weeks behind the holiday! So, at any rate, previews of the alpha and the MBT are below, as is the link for the zip file at 4shared. If you share the alpha, please be sure to include the URL for the blog so that others can stop by to see what I have to offer. Cheers!

      

'Independent' Zip File

New Alpha 'X Marks the Spot'

Greetings, travelers! I have another new font to share with you today. It's called 'X Marks the Spot. When I was thinking of making it, I wanted to use the 'Pieces of Eight font by Steve Ferrera that was used for 'Pirates of the Caribbean; however, the font has no lower case, and I try to avoid those as much as possible. Of course, there are times when I fall madly in love with a lower caseless font and must use it regardless. *laughs*

So, I found a font called 'Freebooter' by Graham Moore at Gem Fonts. It's not quite as piratey as 'Pieces', but it works with the alpha nonetheless.

The usual blah, blah, blah with my TOS applies, but feel free to use the alpha any way you would like within those restrictions. As always, a link back to this blog is appreciated, as is a mention of it when you share the alpha in groups.

'Nuff said! The previews and 4shared link to the zip file for the alpha are below. Enjoy!

   

X Marks the Spot zip file

Two New Alphas!

Well, dear friends, since the last time I posted, I have had the wonderful experience of being admitted to the hospital for an emergency gallbladder removal… what a marvelous way to spend a holiday weekend! LOL!

Needless to say, for the past couple of weeks, working on my alphas was not at the top of my priorities list. However, as I began to mend from the surgery, and started feeling better, I was able to complete two alphas, and I have them available for you here.

The first of the two is called ‘Glitterama’. It is my first foray into simple animation. I hope to learn more advanced uses in the future, but for now, I hope this alpha will please some of you. The font I used for the alpha is ‘Dusty Rose’ by Nick Curtis of Nick’s Fonts. Previews of the alpha and the link to the zip at 4shared are below.

Blue Nile Graphic Designs Alpha ‘Glitterama’

The second alpha I have for you is called ‘Pixel Rose’. I have long wanted to learn to do pixel art, so I decided that I would start with a simple project, the little rose that I used to make the fill for this alpha. It took me around an hour and most of my already bad eyesight to do it, but I felt the results were worthwhile. The font for this one is MiltonBurlesque, another Nick Curtis font.

Blue Nile Graphic Designs Alpha ‘Pixel Rose’

I hope that some of my visitors will find one or both of these alphas worth having. Enjoy!

Namaste!

Easter Is Lingering

Yes, here it is, the day after Easter, and naturally, I have something else to offer. The Easter bunny just happened to leave me a batch of eggs that I thought I would share with all of my visitors. Several of them are in the usual pastels we are all familiar with, but then, there are several in bright jewel tones that we are not so used to seeing in Easter eggs. There is also a plain white egg, for those who like to decorate their eggs with plaids and polka dots, tartans and florals. You are limited only by your imagination, so let your inner bunny run wild and enjoy!

The file is in png format with a number of different layers; to use, just click on the layer you want, and copy and paste as a new image in your graphics program, and you're off!

The preview and the 4share file are below. Hope your Easter was a 'Hoppy' one!

Easter Egg PNG

New Easter Alpha Chocolate Easter Egg Bunny

Pre-Easter greetings, visitor! I am happy to say that for once, I have finally managed to get a holiday project done before the holiday itself! *laughs* I am delighted to present you with my Easter alpha, Chocolate Easter Egg Bunny. I got the idea for the little chocolate bunny/egg, or egg/bunny, as the case may be, from a newsletter that I got in an email. I thought, 'Well, that's really cute! Maybe I can do something similar..." And thus, was the egg shaped bunny born! I am particularly fond of it, so I will likely will be doing a scrap based on it as well, though the chances of that getting done before Easter are slim to none!

At any rate, for those who are interested, the preview and the 4shared link for the alpha are below. Please be so kind as to abide by my TOS and provide a link back here to the blog if you use it for an Easter page, for a sig tag or something similar or if you chose to share in an alpha collection group. Happy Easter!

Chocolate Easter Egg Bunny Zip

It's Time to Read!

One of my greatest passions is reading. I started reading well fairly early as I remember... by nine, I was reading 'adult' novels, such as 'Hound of the Baskervilles' by Arthur Conan Doyle, 'The Fall of the House of Usher' and many other other such classics. At fifteen, I took on a daunting task for someone of that age by reading Margaret Mitchell's masterpiece, 'Gone with the Wind'. It took me a week to finish at that time; nowadays, I can do it in three.

Yes, I am a rapid, or should I say a rabid reader! I dont just read books, I devour them. I am so devoted to reading that if I don't have anything else at hand, I have been known to read phone books to get my fix! I freely admit that I am a word junkie and I firmly believe that there is no such thing as too many books.

Imagine my great delight in finding the free Kindle app for the PC on Amazon.com, and the massive number of books one could acquire for it for free. I think I lost consciousness for about a month while I snagged all the free books I could get my hands on! My Kindle reader now has 1,281 books on it, and there are 1,592 books on my Kindle book wish list there. Believe me, I am overjoyed!

Sometimes, however, I have the need to have an old fashioned hardcover or paperback book in my hands, and Goodreads is a favorite of mine. Not only can I share all the books I have read with others, make lists of books that I am currently reading, or want to read in the future, but the site features numerous book giveaways which I am always eager to take advantage of. I have won several books for them, some even autographed by the authors. This is totally AWESOME!

If any of my visitors are readers of any speed, and have not discovered Goodreads yet, I encourage you to go by the site and check it out. I am sure that you will find it as exciting as I do.

Check it out at Goodreads!

Nifty 50's Diner Scrap

Finally! At long last, after many delays, I have finished the first of the Sweet Shop Collection scraps, Nifty 50's Diner! So many things kept coming between me and getting it done, but I finally did it!

The kit contains the two alphas, Burger Joint and Nifty 50's Diner, six papers -- three each of 1200 x 1200 and three of 3600 x 3600, and 15 elements, all hand drawn by me with my little mouse!

At any rate, feel free to use if for a scrap page, or sig tags, or whatever. I have no objection to the elements being resized in order to fit into whatever format you may choose, including using any of the elements for creating alphas of your own. But please, no ripping the kit apart for any other purpose, claiming my work as your own, or any of that other TOU type stuff. And I would appreciate it if you would leave the colors as I have done them... they were chosen specifically for for the theme, and their association with the actual diners of the fifties. I remember them well, as my great aunt owned one called the 67 Grill (because it was located at the intersection of two state highways in my hometown, one of which was Highway 67.); my grandmother was the short order cook there, and my mom was a waitress, so my sister Peggy and I spent a lot of time there. The Grill was decorated in those selfsame colors, and I find them very nostalgic.

Whatever you use the kit for, I would really appreciate a link back to this blog. Word of mouth is what brings other visitors here to see what I have to offer.

Next up on the menu is the Daily Scoop Ice Cream Parlor. Hopefully, it won't take me as long to get this one done as I already have some of the elements I need to finish it. Okay... so the preview and the link to the zip at 4shared are below. I hope you will enjoy the kit, so happy scrapping!

Get the zip here

Burger Joint Alpha

Alrigty, then, folks, here is the second alpha that goes with my Sweet Shop Collection 'Nifty 50's Diner'. It's called 'Burger Joint'. Some of you older folks, who actually lived in the fifties might recognize the Coca-Cola clock that's part of the design -- they were in practically every diner I ever visited as a pre-teen in those years. The graphic, by the way, is not a photo... it is a graphic I created with my own two little hands and my little mouse, inspired by a photo of a similar clock that I have seen. The red and white of the alpha itself was inspired by the red and white booths, tables and counter seats that were the mainstays of so many of the fifties diners.

I hope that the alpha brings back memories or the older among you, that the younger ones find it nostalgic, and that some of you can find a use for it some where, whether as a font for a scrap page or even just for your collection.

As I stated in my previous post, I only have a few more doodles to finish for the scrap, and then I should be posting it shortly. I am also working on some holiday alphas which I will get up as soon as I have completed them. Hopefully, all of my visitors will find something to their liking here!

Download the Burger Joint alpha here!

New Alpha, Nifty Fifties Diner

Hello, Internet friend, and welcome to Blue Nile Scrap and Alpha Design! If you've been here before, welcome back and thanks for visiting again.

It's been quite a while since I have posted anything but with the holidays and the New Year coming up, I thought I really ought to get busy with some projects for that. I am working on a couple of new things for Christmas, Yule and the New Year, but I've also been working on my Sweet Shop Collection, and I'm very near completing the first of the offerings, Nifty Fifties Diner. As a small preview of what will be going on with that, today I am posting one of the two alphas that will be included with the scrap. It's called 'Nifty Fifties Diner Alpha'.. yes, I know... a very creative name. LOL! At any rate, the preview is below, along with the link to the zip at 4shared. The second alpha should be up within the week and the scrap soon after that. Happy Holidays!

Nifty Fifties Diner Alpha Download

New Alpha - We, the People

Yes, folks, it's another alpha! *laughs* I've been busy this week! Actually, I was doing it for the Fourth of July, but I got a little behind. I realize that not everyone will want this, since not everyone who passes through here will be an American... but hopefully those folks can find something else that pleases them.

So, here is 'We, the People'... if you chose to snag it to use for something that will be displayed on the web, please be so kind as to provide a link back here so other travelers may come and see if there are other things available that they may like. It's fine to share the alpha with a group so long as you provide a link back to this blog. All other terms of use apply.

The preview is below, and the zip can be downloaded here.

All constructive criticism is welcome. Have an awesome weekend!

New Alpha - Geometrics

I was playing around with the effects filters in my Paint Shop Pro today, and I came up with the geometric design that I used for the fill on this alpha; I thought it was pretty groovy, so I looked around for a font that would mesh well with it. I found this font, which is called 'Boogie Nights', at 1001 Fonts (they lie a LOT, because they have WAY more than a 1001 fonts there! *laughs*), and it was as groovy as the fill, so I went with it. It sort of reminds me of some of the psychedelic posters that were on the walls at the Infinite Mind, a place on Fairfax Avenue across the street from Canter's Deli back in the days when I was a gen-u-wine, certified Sunset Strip hippie. Wow, does that bring back some fond memories!

At any rate, this alpha is the result of that little trip down memory lane. I hope there are some alphaholics and scrappers out there that will find it interesting. The usual terms of use apply - if you are new to my blog, you will find the terms of use about a third of the way down the right side bar... The preview is below, and the zip file can be downloaded here.

Constructive criticism is always welcome; you may leave your comments in the section below. And please feel free to send your friends around if they are scrappers or alpha collectors, or just want to look! Peace!

Spring Pastels Alpha

Hello, fellow travelers! know I haven't been around recently. I've had a little period where I was not quite feeling up to snuff (I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few months ago... it is a pain in the neck... and the back... and everywhere else! *laughs*) , and because of it, I was a bit less than creative. Since I have gotten to feeling a little more artistic these past few days, I found myself working on this new alpha. I think it turned out fairly well, and I hope some of you will think so also. The preview of the alpha is below, as is the 4shared link for the zip.

The zip file for the alpha can be found here.

Valentine's Day Sig Tag.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. Here is a siggie that I would like to share with all those who like such things. It was made from one of the graphics that I created for my 'Love Is In the Air' Valentine's scrap kit, which can be found in one of my earlier posts, for those who would like to have that. The sig tag graphic was mouse drawn by me. You may add a name if you like, but please do not recolor, or claim as your own. A link back to this blog would be nice, but is not a requirement of use.

New Alpha, Pearls for Michelle

My granddaughter, Michelle, will be turning 18 in June, and since her birthstone is a pearl, I decided to make this alpha for her; her favorite color is (or was -- with a teenager, these things can change from day to day! *laughs*) purple, so with the help of Color Schemer, I cobbled up a theme on that and complimentary colors.

The idea for the alpha came from Shawna's Wire Word Tutorial at Scrap Stuff with PSP. She has some of the coolest tutorials I have seen, both for Paint Shop Pro and for Photoshop. My only disappointment is that she hasn't posted any new tutorials in a while, but I keep hoping to visit some day soon and find some new things to amaze me!

As said in the post below, the usual rules apply, so I won't repeat them because that gets SO boring... but if you need a reminder, my TOS is in the right hand column just a bit down the page. The preview of the alpha and the 4shared link are below. I hope you enjoy the alpha!

Pearls for Michelle by Blue Nile Scrap and Alpha Design

Love Beads Alpha

Hello, all! I know it's been a while since I have posted anything new, but I have been going through something of a creative drought, not only with my scraps and my alphas but with my writing as well. Hopefully my new alpha, Love Beads, will cause the drought to dry up, so to speak, and I can get back to all of my creative endeavors with a new spark of inspiration!

Love Beads is intended to be a Valentine alpha, but you may use it for other projects if you wish. The usual rules apply... do not tear the alpha apart, use it in combination with other alphas, claim it as your own creation, blah, blah, blah...

If you are only collecting, I hope you enjoy the alpha, but if you are using it on a web page, a link to my blog is a requirement of use. You may use it for sig tags or extras, but when sharing those, I would be most grateful if you would share my link so others can visit, and I can increase traffic to the blog. Preview of the alpha is below, as is the link to the zip on 4shared. Enjoy!

Love Beads Alpha by Blue Nile Scrap Design and Alphas

Got involved with this new site called CrowdTap. It's a place where you can express your opinion about a number of different products of your choice, and you have the opportunity to win cool prizes, like gift cards for Amazon.com and other online stores. So far, I've won three Amazon.com gift cards, which keeps me in books, and a gift card for Sephora. I'm also participating in a sampling opportunity for Truvia, where you get some free samples of the product, and them make a report on what you did with them. Not sure that there is a prize involved with this, but you do get the free samples of the product.

The Crowdtap program is fairly uninvolved and doesn't require a lot of lengthy surveys, which is what I like about it, and of course, winning prizes is always fun! Try it for yourself; I'm sure you'll like it!

 

Halloween Song Poll

With Halloween a little over two weeks away, I thought I'd add a little haunting fun to the blog by hosting a little Halloween poll to it. If you are unfamiliar with any of the songs in the poll by name, you can listen to a sample of it by going here. All of the ones with the exception of 'The Monster Mash', which I am sure everyone knows is there for you to listen to in advance of making your selection. There will be a small gift for those of you who select the most popular song in the poll, so vote and have fun!

What do you consider the anthem of Halloween songs?

Congress Behaving Badly

I try not to be extremely political as a rule, because along with religion, politics is one of those subjects that can cause folks to lose their religion; however, what is going on with the members of the United States Congress and the shutdown of the government calls for Americans to be outspoken in their opinions of this outrage. Gallup polls show that so many Americans are angry with this situation that they are signing petitions for reduced term limits and severe pay cuts for Congress. I am one of those people. While more than 58 percent of Americans live below poverty levels, members of Congress have an average salary of $174,000 per year, and if you count the $110,000 in taxpayer-funded fringe benefits Members receive (including plush retirement plans, paid time off, and contributions to Social Security and Medicare taxes), they’re earning close to $285,000 per year. I don't know about you, but I would certainly like to be able to live within those standards!

If you are an American voter who is also tired of Congress behaving badly, here are a couple of ways to express your opinion. There is a petition to impose stricter term limits on members of congress here: US Term Limits and one to impose a reduction of pay and benefits for them here: Pay Cuts for Congress. It's time to remind them that they work for us, and we have the right to censure them when they do not. I'm sure our forefathers would be very much disappointed in the fact that what they saw as a public service has become a way for some folks to get rich. Let's get Congress back to the way they intended it to be!